Vending machine



VENDING MACHINE Filed 000- 10. 1922 ROY E. MEA

Dec. 4 1923. 1,476,266

R. E. MEADER I VENDING MACHINE Filed 001;. 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROY E M EADEQ.

Patented Dec. 1, 1923.

UNETEQ SITES TENT QFFItIE.

vnNmNe MaoHINn.

Application filed October 10,1922. Serial No. 593,565.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, For E. MnAnnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to vending machines of the type which are normally locked against operation and require the deposit of a coin, representing the price of the article sold, to release the operating mechanism.

An object of the invention is the provision of a simplified locking means for a turn stile which is adapted to permit the vended articles to be fed through gravity.

7 Another object of the invention is the provision of an escapement mechanism com bined with the coin-controlled mechanism in such a way that both mechanisms are positively operated in unison.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description. when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is an irregular section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View looking from the rear toward the front of the machine.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the paddle wheel and latch.

Figure 5 is a transverse section. taken on line of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectlolfll view taken on line 66 of Figure 7 an Figure 7 is a sectional view through the coin mechanism and related parts, showing in dotted lines the position of the mechanism when the paddle wheel is released.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the numeral 1 designates generally the casing of the vending machine, which may be of any desired shape, size and ornamental appearance. -The casing 1 is provided with a hinged back 2, by means of which access is had to the interior for the purpose of recharging with merchandise or for other purposes.

Positioned within the casing 1 is an article chute 3 carryingthe guard rails 4 for guiding the articles to be vended in the proper direction. The chute 3 may be adjusted at any suitable angle depending on the nature of the goods to he sold. The articles of merchandise which are indicated by numeral 5 are fed by gravity to the turnstile 6 mounted on a horizontal axis 7. As the turnstile 6 is permitted to rotate the articles are fed into the delivery chute 8 and thence to the tray 9.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified mechanism which is operable in connection with a coin for controlling the movements of the turnstile 6 and likewise the delivery of the goods. To this end I have provided a latch 10, which. is slidably mounted in the guideway 11 se cured to the under side of the article chute 3. This latch is adapted to engage the edges of the. various paddles of the turnstile 6 and lock the same against rotation. A spring 12, having one end secured to the guideway 11 and the other end secured to the laterally extending arm 13 of the latch, forces the latter into engagement with the paddles of the turnstile 6.

The latch 10 has connected therewith, through the lateral extension 13, a pivoted arm 14, which is engaged by a coin inserted in the mechanism and causes the latch to be raised when the plunger, described hereinafter, is pushed inwardly.

Secured within the casing 1 and inclined at an angle to correspond with. the incline tion of the latch 10 is a plate 15. This plate is provided with the relatively large and small coin apertures 16 and 17, respectively, and the connecting slot 18. A coin carrier 19 is mounted for sliding movement on the plate 15 and is provided with a plunger 20 which extends to the exterior of the casing. The coin carrier is also formed with a coin aperture 21 for receiving a coin deposited intothe coin chute 22. A spring 22 may be used, if desired, for returning the coin carrier to normal position.

F01 the purpose ofholding the freeend,

of the arm 14: in operative position with respect to the coin aperture 21 of the coin carrier the latter is provided with an overhanging flange 23 apertured at 24 for the reception of the free end of the arm. It will thus be seen that the arm 14; is free to swing on its pivot and also to move longitudinally as the plunger 20 is moved inwardly and outwardly.

A refunding chute 25 terminating in a tray 26 connects with the small coin aperture 17 oi the plate 15, while the coin chute 27 leads from the larger aperture 16 to a coin box (not shown). 7

lVith the apparatus thus far described it is obvious that the latch 10 might be disengaged from the turnstile with a single coin and held in that position until the entire stockof goods became exhausted. To avoid such misuseof the apparatus I have provided an escapement mechanism adapted to permit only a predetermined turning movement of the trunstile at each deposit of a coin. This mechanism comprises a detent 28 which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as indicated at 29. The smaller arm 30 oi the detent 28 extends through a slot 31 in the guide member 11 and has its free end positioned in an aperture 32' in the latch 10. The detent 28 thus responds to the movement of the latch 10; i. e., as the latch 10 is raised the detent 28 swings inwardly between the paddles or" the turnstile and when the latch is lowered the detent' will swing outwardly, as shown in full lines in 3.

In operation, a coin of the proper denomination dropped into chute 22 will come to rest in the coin aperture 21 of the coin carrier 19, and as the plunger 20 is pressed inwardly against spring 22 the coin will be engaged by the end of the arm 1%, the latter being swung upon its pivot, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7. This movement of the parts will raise the latch 10 from engagement with the turnstile 6 and would permit free rotation thereof, due to the weight of the packages on the chute 3 were it not for the fact that the detent 28 is swung in front of the succeeding paddle and. limits its movement. As the latch .is returned to normal position by the spring 12 the detent 28 is swung outwardly, thereby disengaging the turnstile and permit-ting the same to rotate until the succeeding paddle engages the latch 10 and is again locked.

Should a coin or" smaller dimensions than that for which'the machine is intended be insorted in chute 22 the same will be forced through the smaller aperture 17 and returned through chute From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple and inexpensive coin-controlled structure, and yet one which is thoroughly reliable in operation and of such design as will withstand the rough usage to which machines oi? this character are subjected.

In accordance with the patent statues, I have described what- I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limit-- ing myself or the scope of the invention, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope of the appended claims.

that I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin-controlled apparatus includ ing a vending element and a coin-carrier provided with a coinslot, a latch for locking said vending element, and a depending arm pivoted to said latch, the free end of said arm being positioned for cooperation with said coin-carrier. 2. Ina device 01" the class described, a vending element, a latch adapted to engage and lock said element, an arm pivoted to said latch and depending therefrom, a movable coin carrier having an aperture therein, and means for positioning the free end of said pivoted arm adjacent the coin aperture for cooperation therewith.

8. In a device of the class described, a vending element, a slidably mounted latch adapted to engage and lock said element,'an arm pivoted to said latch and depending therefrom, a slidably mounted coin carrier having a coinaperture therein, and means for positioning the free end of said pivoted arm adjacent the coin aperture for cooperation therewith.

I. In a device of the class described, a vending element, a latch adapted to engage and lock said element, an arm pivoted to said latch, a coin carrier having a coin aperture therein, and an overhanging flange on said carrier having an. aperture which re ceives the free end of said pivoted arm and positions the same adjacent said coin aperture.

5. In a device of the class described, a vending element, a latch adapted to engage and lock said element, coin-controlled means for disengaging said. latch, and a detent pivoted intermediate its ends and operatively connected to said latch so as to restrict the movement of said vending element.

6. In device of the class described, a vending element, a latch adapted'to engage and lock said element, coin-c mtrolled means for disengaging said latch, a detent pivoted adjacent said latch and adapted to limit the movements of the vending element, and an extension on said detent. connected to said latch.

7. In a; device of the class described, a vending element, a slidably mounted latch adapted to engage and lock said element,

coin eoutrolled means for disengaging said 7 latch, and a pivoted detent operatively connected to said latch and adapted to limit the movements of said vending element.

8. In a device of the class described, a vending element, a latch adapted to engage and lock said element, a slotted base member on which said latch is slidabiy mounted, a detent pivoted intermediate its ends and having one of its ends extending through said slotted base member and engaging said latch, the opposite end of said detent adapted to limit the turning movement of said vending element, and coin-controlled means for disengaging the latch from the vending element.

ROY E. MEADER. 

